The New York Comedy Festival hits the city with an extra degree of difficulty in presidential election years. In 2008, the festival launched with a panel discussion on political humor the day after Barack Obama was elected, and no one had any ideas yet for how to be funny about the guy. This year Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, who have perfected a two-man Obama impersonation on their Comedy Central show “Key & Peele,” will perform as the festival begins on post-election Wednesday at New York University’s Skirball Center.

“It will be somewhat improvised,” Mr. Peele says. In their unique Obama impression, Mr. Peele addresses the nation calmly as President Obama while Mr. Key, as an “anger translator” named Luther, voices the frustration the President can’t. The duo has an episode of their weekly show airing Wednesday night for which have pre-taped sketches for (hopefully) any scenario: Mr. Obama winning, Mitt Romney winning, and a temporary stalemate.

The New York Comedy Festival, now in its ninth year, will be bigger than ever, with 80 shows over five days (Nov. 7 – 11) expected to sell more than 50,000 tickets. The festival’s producers, who run Caroline’s on Broadway, attract big-time performers and like to match them creatively with the city’s venues (Caroline Hirsch says the shows will go on despite Hurricane Sandy). Acts will be everywhere from the basement of Brooklyn’s Union Hall to Madison Square Garden, where Kevin Hart will play two shows on Nov. 10. Robin Williams will sit for a Q&A with David Steinberg at the 92nd Street Y. Aziz Ansari will perform at Carnegie Hall, Bill Maher at the Beacon Theater, Patton Oswalt at Town Hall, Jim Gaffigan the Apollo Theater in Harlem.